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Gee a lot of Social Club members possibly didn't renew this season. Latest e-mail from Saints said there are s/c memberships still for sale which gives a ticket to Grand Final IF Saints play in it.
So there must not be a waiting list anymore................. doesn't take much for 'supporters' to jump off the bandwagon when it starts to wobble eh?
Now some of you gamblers who like long odds.......... jump on board with us social club members, you could be there with us cheering the Saints on to victory in 2012
No surprising that SC numbers have dropped as the club has in recent years continually thumbed it's nose at SC Members, destroyed it's vale and meaning and turned it basically just into a GF Ticket access system...so once GF looked a bit off all those that joined for that reason would leave....and the long-term SC Members having had their value reduced would now have to think WTF we are paying out...
I still remember the arrogant Membership tosser who came onto this forum after the SC Reserved seat debacle to state that the letters had been all sent out ok...despite posts on this forum that they had not been received. Reason being that the Membership Dept stuffed up.
In chasing short term $ the club has screwed it's SC Members over.
Small things can mean a lot, and they did not have to cost much to supply....they just had to be born of a Club Ethos, rather than a "do you want fries with that mentality"
Once upon a time, after a win you would go into the Social Club and all sing the Club song together.
Once upon a time, after each game you would hear the B+F 3/2/1 votes read out after the game
Once upon a time you could go to training...and in the Social Club before anyone else including the media you would hear the team read out.
Once upon a time you had a SC Medallion with YOUR number on it...which never changed as it was YOUR number. Now you just have a barcode.
Once upon a time...we had a Social Club......now all we have is a priority GF Ticket Access System!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Footy First came to power in part on a mandate that they would re-engage the members. As soon as their feet got under the boardroom table us the members, including SC Members, just became sources of revenue again.
Westaway was flying around the country garnering proxies.....anyone seen him of late?
Last edited by saintsRrising on Mon 18 Jun 2012 11:00pm, edited 1 time in total.
Flying the World in comfort thanks to FF Points....
saintsRrising wrote:No surprising that SC numbers have dropped as the club has in recent years continually thumbed it's nose at SC Members, destroyed it's vale and meaning and turned it basically just into a GF Ticket access system...so once GF looked a bit off all those that joined for that reason would leave....and the long-term SC Members having had their value reduced would now have to think WTF we are paying out...
I still remember the arrogant Membership tosser who came onto this forum after the SC Reserved seat debacle to state that the letters had been all sent out ok...despite posts on this forum that they had not been received. Reason being that the Membership Dept stuffed up.
In chasing short term $ the club has screwed it's SC Members over.
Small things can mean a lot.
Once upon a time, after a win you would go into the Social Club and all sing the Club song together.
Once upon a time, after each game you would here the B+F 3/2/1 votes read out after the game
Once upon a time you could go to training...and in the Social Club before anyone else including the media you would hear the team read out.
Once upon a time...we had a Social Club......now all we have is a priority GF Ticket Access System!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Footy First came to power in part on a mandate that they would re-engage the members. As soon as their feet got under the boardroom table us the members, including SC Members just became sources of reven
Westaway was flying around the country garnering votes.....anyone seen him of late?
Don't forget the good old meat tray raffle on a Thursday night before the team was anounced.
_______________________________________________________________________
"Don't argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience."
saintsRrising wrote:No surprising that SC numbers have dropped as the club has in recent years continually thumbed it's nose at SC Members, destroyed it's vale and meaning and turned it basically just into a GF Ticket access system...so once GF looked a bit off all those that joined for that reason would leave....and the long-term SC Members having had their value reduced would now have to think WTF we are paying out...
I still remember the arrogant Membership tosser who came onto this forum after the SC Reserved seat debacle to state that the letters had been all sent out ok...despite posts on this forum that they had not been received. Reason being that the Membership Dept stuffed up.
In chasing short term $ the club has screwed it's SC Members over.
Small things can mean a lot, and they did not have to cost much to supply....they just had to be born of a Club Ethos, rather than a "do you want fries with that mentality"
Once upon a time, after a win you would go into the Social Club and all sing the Club song together.
Once upon a time, after each game you would hear the B+F 3/2/1 votes read out after the game
Once upon a time you could go to training...and in the Social Club before anyone else including the media you would hear the team read out.
Once upon a time you had a SC Medallion with YOUR number on it...which never changed as it was YOUR number. Now you just have a barcode.
Once upon a time...we had a Social Club......now all we have is a priority GF Ticket Access System!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Footy First came to power in part on a mandate that they would re-engage the members. As soon as their feet got under the boardroom table us the members, including SC Members, just became sources of revenue again.
Westaway was flying around the country garnering proxies.....anyone seen him of late?
Good post.
I remember having the debate long agO bout the devaluing of what it meant to be a SC member and was told that "I expect to much from a footy club" and that its "now big business so I should adapt my thinking..."
Short sighted is what the club has done - instead of building the SC into an MCG membership item that is sought after....they devalued it to a barcode - spot on SR.
Had SC had more than just "GF ticket access" and been about ensuring those supporters who coughed up are made to feel part of the club.....that could be an area of revenue that remains constant in good times and bad....but alas....short term money grab was the order of the day.
i'm an interstate member. i get to see max 2 games a year here in perth. i was a paid up social club member. i didnt even get tickets to the one game we had at subi last year because i was never notified by the club. apparently they just searched the membership db for interstate members as opposed to to all members from wa.
now theres premium interstate, so i moved my membership over to that. theres absolutely no incentive to keep the social club membership.
there surely must be something the club can do to make the social club membership for appealing.
I was quite excited when I read the email about Members Day. It said Social Club members will have their own marquee and get the chance to meet and greet some of the players. I thought to myself this is brilliant. However on the day it was barely a marquee, there was no sign saying this is the designated Social Club area and not one player went over there because it was so out of the way.
i'm an interstate member. i get to see max 2 games a year here in perth. i was a paid up social club member. i didnt even get tickets to the one game we had at subi last year because i was never notified by the club. apparently they just searched the membership db for interstate members as opposed to to all members from wa.
now theres premium interstate, so i moved my membership over to that. theres absolutely no incentive to keep the social club membership.
there surely must be something the club can do to make the social club membership for appealing.
Im not sure the club care tbh.
Theyve gone niche in their approach to members. Now you have:
Lunch with Rooey club
Rooey on toilet club
Lenny's gardening crew
Raphs rehab team etc
All means they want extra coin and I guess the focus is there and SC can please itself.
I dropped SC this year for one reason and one reason alone - principle.
Every year I had an annual ritual of renewing the family membership and renewing my social club membership, normally in Feb or March, at Moorabbin, where I would also purchase new jumpers for the kids and what ever other merch grabbed my fancy.
This year, I received a phone call some weeks after the event to tell me "sorry, but you can no longer purchase SC on a family membership, you will all have to have individual memberships and you need to send us an extra $100 or so". Now I don't regard $100 as a great deal of cash, but I think the principle stinks, so I told them to poke it where the sun don't shine and refund my SC membership fee.
The heavy metal artist formerly known as True Believer!
IF you look around the room and can't identify who the sucker is, then it's probably you!
True Believer wrote:I dropped SC this year for one reason and one reason alone - principle.
Every year I had an annual ritual of renewing the family membership and renewing my social club membership, normally in Feb or March, at Moorabbin, where I would also purchase new jumpers for the kids and what ever other merch grabbed my fancy.
This year, I received a phone call some weeks after the event to tell me "sorry, but you can no longer purchase SC on a family membership, you will all have to have individual memberships and you need to send us an extra $100 or so". Now I don't regard $100 as a great deal of cash, but I think the principle stinks, so I told them to poke it where the sun don't shine and refund my SC membership fee.
that's ridiculous. i would have done exactly what you did.
i'm all for the club making money, but thats just dirty and cheap. they want the supporters showing the club loyalty and passion, how about they give us some back.
i just cant justify the extra cost anymore with a wife and 2 young kids, when we literally get 1 game out of it.
to the clubs credit we did get training back over here and a family day!!!
I am a 30+ year sc member and have the whole family as sc. When we moved to the dome the big attraction for us was the sc walk up area on level 1. Every home game we would turn up having secured our seats the week before for the cost of our booking fee. We sat pretty much in the same seats each week and got to meet some great saints supporters like the jigster and his family. After the game we would go the victory room and enjoy the atmosphere. The fact that we had "priority" access to gf tickets was irrelevant to us. Then the club said no more to sc walk up, if you want to sit there is was reserved seat only. Now I reckon that 4 sc memberships in the family is expensive enough with out getting reserved seats as well. So what benefit do we get now for our many years of sc membership? We get the luxury of scanning our cards and sitting up on level 3 and not much else. Is there any added benefit for being a sc member? Absolutely not in my opinion. My family now question why we spend the extra for sc and I can't offer any valid reason. I know several sc members who have dropped their membership and they are not prepared to come back until the club changes their ways - and I can't see that happening anytime soon. Shame saints shame!!
BJ has arrived!!!!!!!!!!
BJ's #1 Fan
Winner of the half time Social Club auction for Kosi's jumper Round 19 2005
Can we build it? Yes we can!!
saintsRrising wrote:No surprising that SC numbers have dropped as the club has in recent years continually thumbed it's nose at SC Members, destroyed it's vale and meaning and turned it basically just into a GF Ticket access system...so once GF looked a bit off all those that joined for that reason would leave....and the long-term SC Members having had their value reduced would now have to think WTF we are paying out...
I still remember the arrogant Membership tosser who came onto this forum after the SC Reserved seat debacle to state that the letters had been all sent out ok...despite posts on this forum that they had not been received. Reason being that the Membership Dept stuffed up.
In chasing short term $ the club has screwed it's SC Members over.
Small things can mean a lot, and they did not have to cost much to supply....they just had to be born of a Club Ethos, rather than a "do you want fries with that mentality"
Once upon a time, after a win you would go into the Social Club and all sing the Club song together.
Once upon a time, after each game you would hear the B+F 3/2/1 votes read out after the game
Once upon a time you could go to training...and in the Social Club before anyone else including the media you would hear the team read out.
Once upon a time you had a SC Medallion with YOUR number on it...which never changed as it was YOUR number. Now you just have a barcode.
Once upon a time...we had a Social Club......now all we have is a priority GF Ticket Access System!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Footy First came to power in part on a mandate that they would re-engage the members. As soon as their feet got under the boardroom table us the members, including SC Members, just became sources of revenue again.
Westaway was flying around the country garnering proxies.....anyone seen him of late?
Excellent post!
Even the "foundation" social club membership has been canned.
I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
+1
I hate agreeing with you. Won't make it a habit. I promise!
i am Melbourne Skies - sometimes Blue Skies, Grey Skies, even Partly Cloudy Skies.
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.
Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.
In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.
The heavy metal artist formerly known as True Believer!
IF you look around the room and can't identify who the sucker is, then it's probably you!
For mine they lost alot of us SC members when they decided to not offer a social club seating area but instead make it purely reserved. Short term money grab in the years when most were holding onto their SC membership for grand final tickets. Now there will less SCmembers, less reserved seating in the area and more pissed off members. Originally they offered reserved seating on the wing or a social club area to those that liked to book a week ahead when they could make it. This meant that you were not stuck next to the idiot who abused raph even when he was in the stands and also meant that we could choose how many of us would go each week. The place would sell out and was deciently noisey.
Now it's all reserved and those that can't justify $150-$200 a year for seats that they might barely use are stuck up on level 3 with the general public. Great support for those who have forked out extra money when the team struggled during the early 00's.....
So the club will lose out of SC membership (money in the coffers at the start of the year) for a year or two of extr money in reserved seating. No suprises. Also they have slowly carved away any value the SC did have.
FQF
loyal in the good times and bad
In richo I trust
2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
Dunstan - future captain Eli - future cult hero
Acres - future norm smith
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.
Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.
In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
what exactly did i get for my social club membership in 2011 when i live in perth? i didnt even get a ticket to the 1 game they had over here because our useless membership dept cant even query a database correctly!!!! i wasnt the only perth social club member in this boat either!!!
my membership got me some crappy membership merch made in china for all of $10 and thats it.
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.
Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.
In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.
Well this is where we disagree. i still say it is a donation and as soon as a club drops the people drop their donation off because the donation had one thing going for it and that is a GF ticket. What could the club give people when a side is on the way down that would keep them as SC members. i doubt there is much that would change peoples minds once the club is on the way down. Only have to look at our normal membership this year. Im afraid footy is a grab for cash and you have to strike while the iron is hot.
And i must hang out with different members to you because most of the ones I know would be lucky to use their membership once or twice a year. Doesnt mean some dont go but get in on other tickets. They only buy a membership as a donation.
agree defacto
but
it is a business
yeah got training sessions as well
but hard tho
organising a whole day off to watch an hr of training.
no functions over here much anymore either
no one seems interested in going
no players rock up to the after match one as they shower and get the red eye straight back to melbs
which is understandable
not much we can do
we'll keep the prem interstate membership for as long as we can afford to
if things get tight in the future it will have to go (500 bucks a year)...family comes first when things get tight
plugger66 wrote:I still say the club had no choice but to make money while it could. Numbers will drop off no matter how you treat members when in the opinion of supporters they are on the way down. SC members have dropped off because they dont see the need to join because a GF ticket isnt an issue this year. We had to make money when it was an issue. Do people really think a little gift will keep members. may keep a few but the cost would out way the benefit. Yes it would be nice to do heaps for members but really these type of things are donations and you get more donations when successful. We have lost 5k members this year. I would have thought that was an obvious amount because people thought we couldnt win the flag. Do you people actually think a little gift would keep them? I doubt it.
Sorry Plugger but I think you're missing the point - when people fork over their hard-earned and are called "members", they expect to get something in return, and certainly don't see it as a donation. The problem is that SC offers what in the way of value??? If the only thing it represents is guaranteed GF access, then it becomes worthless in the eyes of many if they don't think we can make the GF.
Surely it is smarter and more beneficial for the club if the SC represents something more than what it presently does (a donation to the club). It is a revenue stream from the most responsive demographic they'll ever have, rusted on fans. If they chose to try and milk it like mad for no benefit to the fans then the club will miss out - let's not forget that the bulk of the supporters have a limited amount of discretionary income and have to chose what represents the best value for money for them.
In my case I could have afforded it, but for many that won't be the case, so instead of an incidental increase in membership revenue of about 20% (in our case), they lost a SC membership at whatever the value of that was. Doesn't strike me as smart business. They should be making it as easy as possible for people to "buy up to" extra membership options.
Well this is where we disagree. i still say it is a donation and as soon as a club drops the people drop their donation off because the donation had one thing going for it and that is a GF ticket. What could the club give people when a side is on the way down that would keep them as SC members. i doubt there is much that would change peoples minds once the club is on the way down. Only have to look at our normal membership this year. Im afraid footy is a grab for cash and you have to strike while the iron is hot.
And i must hang out with different members to you because most of the ones I know would be lucky to use their membership once or twice a year. Doesnt mean some dont go but get in on other tickets. They only buy a membership as a donation.
keep half the social club seating non-reserve. Have it available the week before through the club. Thus those who are from interstate, from geelong and other towns or would like to invite more social club friends to sit with them can use his facility. They still get a bay full of reserved but also make money from those wanting to book ($5 a pop sounds fair) each week. Simple database exercise which would make the club money and also give something back of value to the social club member.
Bring back the foundation social club member. Maybe an extra 10% off on merchandise on top of their normal level membership. A social club medallion every 5 years of social club membership (not every year but milestones).
Some thoughts that would not break the budget. Spend to make money they say.
To those saying it's a donation, it's not. A donation is a donation. If I won the lottery I would give a donation, it's called a cheque.
FQF
loyal in the good times and bad
In richo I trust
2013 trade/draft best ever?
Billings - future brownlow medallist Longer - future best ruck
Dunstan - future captain Eli - future cult hero
Acres - future norm smith